Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-17
James B. Vincent's Story.

James B. Vincent, who arrived on
the steamer Bear, was seen on the YES
sci by an Examiner reporter shortly
after its arrival. The fact of his hay-
ing been wrecked two years ago on
the Siberian coast and his rescue from
life among the Indians has been
pretty we'll ventilated through the pa
pers. The story he tells sounds like
the romance of Dumas or Hugo, If
is SO weird and Robinson Crusoe like.
II sailed out of San Francisco" he
said, 'son December 10, 1884, as boat
steerer on the bark Napoleon for the
Arctic. Samuel p. Smith was in COM
mand. and w. A. Rogers was his mate.
Nothing of moment occurred to MAY
5, 1885, when we were surrounded by
a sea of ice, and as gale was blowing
we could not avoid the large floating
cakes, and the vessel was crushed to
pieces. We had just time to clear
away the boats, and the crew divided
into four parties, nine men in each
boat.
eve soon separated, as the sea was
running very high. [ have learned
since that the whaling bark Fleet
Wing picked up two of the boats. We
had nothing to eat on our boat, and
for four days we nursed our appetites,
which were growing furious. Then
we killed hair seal on & chunk of ice
and divided it among US.
Some of the men by this time were
growing crazy. Rogers, the mate,
was delirious and had to be tied in the
bottom of the boat. 1t is almost use
less to try and describe the suffering
we endured ali this time. With only
the fog to quench our thirst and the
few live seals we could capture to ap-
pease our appetites we did not live
very pleasantly. Twenty-slx days
from the time that the ship was lost
nine of the eighteen men had died,
and ten days after this we landed. 1t
was terribly cold and we were lily
protected from the biting frosts. When
we reached shore [ was the only one
who could walk. In a short time five
died, and when | could secure assist
ance from the Indians | had the three
others carried to the village fifty miles
above. The natives did not want to
take care of us, being very supersti.
tious, though they treated us very
kindly. It was impossible for my com
panions to exist on the coarse food
provided by the Indians, and | made
trip inland to secure some deer.
CAT the same time, when $50 miles
from the village, carved note on a
piece of wood and gave it, to an In
dian to give to some whaling vessel at
.l,o or-tl,- When I returned my COM
panions was dead. They were crazy
from the scurvy, and all died about
March 3, 1886. Strangely [ was not
affected myself, being strong and Wig
orous. IeXisted on the fish / captured.
1.-The tribe [ was among is known
as the Chow Chorian nation, consist
ing of eighteen people. / lived with
the chief. He was advised to refuse
me lodgings, but | insisted that he
should. The natives told me there
would be a death in his tepee in short
time if staid with him, and inside Of
year the chief died
''It's nice to be in civilization again.
was full-fedged Indian in latitude
63, talked like native, and lived like
one"
Mr.. Vincent is nice appearing gen
tlemanly man of % years of age. He
is very intelligent, and studied the his
tory and character of the people he
was forced to live with.
He is an American by birth, being
born at Martha's Vineyard. -San
Francisco Examiner.